Hat size reducer



Aug. 27, 1946.` l. B. MILLER HAT SIZE REDUCER Filed Nov. 29, 1945 Patented Aug. 27, 194()` HAT :SIZE REDUCER VIrving' B. Miller, Chicago, Ill., assigner of onehalf to vStefan Gross, and one-half toHerman J Blackman, both of Chicago,.lll.

Application November 29, leiafserialNo. 512,205

This invention relates to hat size reducers, and more particularly to such reducers as may be Aincorporated in a hat either as a permanent part of the hat or as a part which may be readily put into or removed from the hat, and vwhich will enable the changing of the size of the hat.

In accordance with the preferred. embodiment of the present invention the hat reducer comprises a strip of `material arranged so that it may have one or more folds vfo'rmedtherein and which folds remain in the position in which they are placed. This strip may be placed in the hat between the sweat band and thebody of the hat, either at the front of the hat, the rear of the hat, the sides-of' the hat, or any combinations of those places. If the stripl is then folded one or more times the net eiective thickness of the inserted strip is increased and the effective size of the hat is correspondingly decreased. The material used is preferably fur felt which, as above l stated,is so constructed as to facilitate formathe adjacent strip by a row of stitching. By this arrangement a series of folds may be formed, each fold increasing the net effective thickness of the strip. `The strip is preferably skived or beveled at its transverse edges so that the diminuv tion in size, which is brought about by the strip,

is gradual at the commencement of the strip.

As previously stated, the strip may be entirely separate from the hat or it may be sewed into the hat. When it is sewed into the Ahat it is preferably sewed to the sweat band or to the usual rattan reed that is sewed to the sweat band, or the hat reducer may, if desired, be sewed by stitching directly to the body of the hat.

The attainment of the above and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specication taken in con-s junction with the accompanying drawing forming apart thereof.

In the drawing: y Figure 1 is aperspective view, looking ntothe 6 claims. (c1. 2-1s3 l 2 bottom of a hat embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a` perspective view of a ,hat sweat band with a strip of hat reducer secured thereto; Figure 3 is a top view of a hat reducer strip;

Figure 4 is a front view of ahat reducer strip;

Figure 5r is a perspective View of part of the hat reducer strip of Figure 4 folded Valong the line of fold;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View of a hat in which the hat reducer of Figure 2 is incorporated;

Figure 'l is a fragmentary sectional viewcorresponding to Figure 6 land illustrating the manner of folding the hat reducer to reduce the effective size of thek hat in which the reducer is incorporated;

Figure 8 is a fragmentaryperspective View of amodifled form of reducer; and

Figure 9is a fragmentary perspective view of still another form of reducer.

Reference may now be had more particularly to Figurel. In this ligure a hat is indicatedin general by the reference numeral I. This hat is the usual type of soft felt hat the body of which is inade'of fur felt.v The hat includesa brimv 2, a crown portion 3' and a sweat band 4, of thin flexible leather, as is usual yin mens hats. The sweat band may have a rattan reed E sewed to the lower edge thereof by a line of stitching 1, asis usual in one type of hat sweat band. A hat reducer strip I0 is Vsewed to the reed 6 as by a line of stitching I l. In this linstance thehat reducer is Ylocated at the part of the sweat band which is to .be at the" forehead of the wearer. It may, however, be secured'in place at any other part of the sweat bandas, for instance, at thepart of the band whichis: at the sides or at the back of the head 'of the wearer. Y

The hat size reducer strip Ill, illustrated more fully in Figures 3 ,and 4; consists of a strip of iiexible material, such as fur felt, which isthe same material as that of which the body ofthe hat is made, although the reducer Il) may be made of any other flexible material. The reducer I0 is flexible and alsok has perspiration absorbing characteristics. The strip l 0 is in effect'formed'of two separate strips, indicated fat i2 and I3, that are placed inabutting relationship and stitched togethcr by a rowof zigzag stitching i4. 'Ihis provides a lineof fold l5 along which the strip i3 may be :folded vforward or backward over the strip I 2, the material being'of suiicientflexibility topallow foldingof the strip ki3 to lie flat over either of theV two, .opposite faces of the strip i2.

The line I5, which is the line of severance of the strips I2-I3, constitutes a weakened line extending longitudinally along the strip lil, which weakened line is a line of fold. At its opposite lateral edges II-I'I the strip Il! is tapered or beveled, as indicated at Iii-I8. The taper may b e at one or both surfaces of the strip, it being sufficient that the edges IB and I'I are tapered to a line, for a purpose which will be apparent as this description proceeds.

When the sweat band of Figure 2 is incorporated in a hat it is secured in place by a line of stitching 20 which passes through the body of the hat and through the'folded lower edge of the reed 8 that projects below the bottom of the leather band 4 by a slight amount, an amount merely suicient to receive the stitching 20. This stitching is generally concealed by the lower part of the usual hat band 2l. When the reducer Ill is in place, as illustrated in Figure 6, it reduces the effective size ofthe hat by a small amount. If it is desired to increase the amount of reduction of the hat size it is merely necessary to fold the sweat band 4 momentarily out of place and then fold the upper strip I3 of the reducer Ill along the line of fold I5, to a position illustrated in Figure 7 When this is done the net effective thickness of the hat reducer is doubled, thereby increasing the amount of the reduction of the size of the hat.

If desired the hat reducing strip I need not be sewed in place in the hat. It may be positioned therein between the sweat band and the crown of the hat without being sewed in place. Such a strip I9 may be positioned in the hat at any place where necessary. Thus if the oval of the hat opening is too long the strip may be positioned at the forward and rear parts of the hat opening. If the opening is not too long but is too wide, then strips such as the strip I0 would be positioned in the hat to be on opposite sides of the head of the wearer, rather than the front and rear of the head. The strip may be positioned in place whether the sweat band is or is not provided with a reed, such as the reed 6.

The purpose of the tapered beveled edges I8 is to prevent an abrupt bulge of the sweat band 4 at the parts of the sweat band where the edges of the hat reducer are located.

Figure 8 illustrates a fragmentary portion of a modified form of hat size reducer. This hat reducer differs from that of Figure l` in that it has an additional strip 25 of the same width as the strip I3 secured to the outer edge of the strip I3. The strip of Figure 8 may be folded in one direction along the line of fold I and then again, optionally, in the opposite direction along the line of fold I5. By this arrangement it is possible to produce a double layer if the strip is folded only once, or a triple layer, if the strip is folded twice, thereby allowing a greater range of amount of hat reduction possible with a strip such as shown in Figure 8.

In Figure 9 there is shown still another embodiment of the present invention wherein the strip I2 has two strips I3-I 3 secured thereto, one at each of the two opposite longitudinal edges of the strip I2. Either one or both of the strips I3 may be folded over the face I2. They may both be folded over the same face of the strip I2 or may be folded in opposite directions to overlie opposite faces of the strip I`2,'as desired.

The hat reducer strips of the present invention may be made in any suitable lengths for positioning in hats, the opposite lateral edges of each length of strip being tapered or skived as illustrated in Figure 3. If desired the hat reducer strips of Figures 5, 8 and 9 are made of a continuous length which is dispensed to hat users who then cut off pieces of the required length and skive or bevel the individual pieces. While I have shown the strips I3 as being of a width of half the width of the strip I2, it is within the purview of the present invention to make the strips I2 and I3 of the same widths.

When a hat reducer such as is above described is used in a hat it allows a considerable range of size reduction. In addition, the hat reducer strip being made of material which absorbs perspiration will prevent the passageway of perspiration from the wearer of the hat to the outside of the hat and thus prevent the unsightly perspiration stains that are sometimes seen on hats.

It is apparent from the above description that the present invention is applicable not only to fur felt hats but also to other types of hats, including even straw hats, caps, and the like, and that the above invention is applicable not only to mens hats but also to womens hats.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a few preferred embodimentsV of the present invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise constructions here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What is considered new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hat, a sweat band, a hat size reducer between the sweat band and the body of the hat said hat size reducer comprising a flexible-strip of substantial thickness having a longitudinally extending weakened line of fold, said weakened line comprising a line of physical separation of the strip into two separate abutting non-overlapping parts and a hinge connection between the parts, the lower part being secured tothe hat and the upper part being free for folding and unfolding at said hinge, said hinge connection being a series of stitches securing the two strip parts together, whereby upon folding of the strip along its line of fold the strip remains folded and the net effective thickness of the strip is increased. 2. In a hat,va sweat band, a hat size reducer between the sweat band and theA body of the hat vsaid hat size reducer comprising a flexible strip of substantial thickness beveled at its lateral edges and having a longitudinally extending weakened line of fold, said weakened line comprising a line of physical separation of the strip into two separate parts and a hinge connection between the parts, the lower part being secured to the hat andthe upper part being free for folding and unfoldingat said hinge, said hinge connection being a series of stitches securing the two strip parts together, whereby upon folding of the strip along its line of fold the strip remains folded and the net effective thickness of the strip is increased, said strip extending around only a fractional part of thecircumference of the sweat band whereby the beveled lateral edges of the strip prevent a sharp bend in the sweat band at the lateral edges of the strip.

3. A hat size reducer comprising a flexible strip of material of substantial thickness having a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending weakened lines of fold, said weakened lines comprising lines of physical separation of the strip into separate parts and hinge connections between the successive parts, the parts being all of the same material, each hinge connection being a series of stitches securing the adjacent strip parts together, whereby upon folding of the strip along a line of fold the strip remains folded and the net eective thickness of the strip is increased.

4. A hat size reducer comprising a strip of felt of substantial thickness lbeveled at its lateral edges and having at least one longitudinally extending weakened line of fold, said weakened line comprising a line of physical separation of the strip into two separate abutting non-overlapping parts and a hinge connection between the parts, the parts being all of the same material, said hinge connection being a series of stitches securing the two strip parts together, whereby upon folding of the strip along its line of fold the strip remains folded and the net effective thickness of the strip is increased.

5. A hat having a sweat band and a hat size reducer between the sweat band and the body of the hat, said reducer being a strip of substantial thickness beveled at its lateral edges and having at least one longitudinally extending weakened line of fold, said weakened line comprising a line of physical separation of the strip into separate parts and a hinge connection between the parts, said hinge connection being a series of stitches securing the two strip parts together, whereby upon folding of the strip along its line of fold the strip remains folded and the net effective thickness of the strip is increased, the lower part of the strip being secured in the hat and the upperI part being free for folding on the line of fold.

6. A hat having a sweat band, a reed between the band and the body of the hat and sewed to both the band and the body of the hat, and a hat size reducer sewed to the reed, said reducer being a strip substantially narrower than the sweat band and of substantial thickness and having a longitudinally extending weakened line of fold, said weakened line comprising a line of physical separation of the strip into separate parts and a hinge connection between the parts, said hinge connection being a series of stitches securing the two strip parts together, whereby upon folding of the strip along its line of fold the strip remains folded and the net eiective f thickness of the strip is increased.

IRVING B. MILLER. 

